There are concerts, and then there are multi-sensory experiences. At Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the towering rock formations and star-filled Colorado sky created a cinematic setting for Of Monsters and Men and their layered, atmospheric sound.
The Grammy-nominated Icelandic indie-folk band brought their Mouse Parade Tour to Red Rocks on August 6, 2026 with Australian singer-songwriter Sophie Payten, known professionally as Gordi who opened the evening with her emotional honesty and distinctive sound. The combination was especially synergistic as Gordi set the tone for the evening in an emotive manner. Gordi will return to Denver on September 20th with Gracie and Rachel at the Lost Lake Lounge.
The Mouse Parade Tour is supporting All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade, the band’s first studio album in six years, released in October of 2025. The tour continues across the U.S. and internationally throughout 2026, including a September 25 appearance at Bourbon & Beyond in Kentucky. I am looking forward to another immersion into their music during Bourbon & Beyond.
The Red Rocks performance opened with a trifecta of strength mesmerizing the audience with: “Television Love,” “Dream Team” and “King and Lionheart” mixing new fan favorites alongside a track that feels like an anthem woven into our lives. The band moved through newer songs and then landed upon “Little Talks” and the crowd erupted into a massive sing along. It was a powerful song that felt sacred at Red Rocks.
A friend that attended the concert noted it was interesting that “Mountain Sound” was not included in the Red Rocks set. She thought that the song would have played well on the Colorado stage. Its absence may simply leave one more reason for Of Monsters and Men to return to Morrison.
At the heart of the performance were Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson. Their vocal collaborations are one of the band’s greatest strengths.
Looking out from the stage, Nanna paused to take in the view. “It is absolutely crazy here [at Red Rocks]. It is so beautiful and surreal to stand here and see this view and all of you. Thank you for sharing this night with us.”
It was the band’s second visit to Red Rocks. They supported Vampire Weekend at Red Rocks in 2013.
The heartbeat of the band was Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson on drums. He has been with the group since its formation in 2010 and enriched the performance with his energy and rhythmic drums.
One special moment of the night was when they played “Love Love Love” and shared that it was the song that started it all. Nanna wrote the song in her bedroom. It feels like a song the world needs.
My connection to Of Monsters and Men began in another extraordinary setting. In the summer of 2024, I traveled to the Faroe Islands and was fortunate enough to attend the G! Festival in Syðrugøta, where Of Monsters and Men headlined. To experience the band on two iconic stages—G! Festival and Red Rocks—has been an unexpected gift. If you haven’t witnessed their live performance yet, I highly recommend you find tickets as soon as possible.
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